Himanta Biswa Sarma Requests Dropping MP After Gaurav Gogoi Named for Operation Sindoor Outreach
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday called on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to remove one of the party’s four nominated MPs from the government’s all-party delegations set to travel abroad and explain India’s stance on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Though Sarma did not name him directly, it was clear he was referring to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi from Jorhat.
Sarma argued that Gogoi should be excluded “in the interest of national security,” reiterating his earlier allegations about Gogoi’s links to Pakistan through his British wife, Elizabeth Colburn. Sarma claimed Gogoi had stayed in Pakistan for 15 days without informing Indian authorities, and that his wife was allegedly drawing a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while working in India.
“Credible documents show this MP’s prolonged stay in Pakistan and his wife’s association with a Pakistan-based NGO,” Sarma said in a tweet. “Beyond political differences, I urge Rahul Gandhi not to include this individual in such a sensitive and strategic diplomatic assignment.”
The Assam CM and BJP have repeatedly targeted Gogoi, accusing him of having connections to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, and claiming his wife has close ties with the Pakistan Army. Sarma has previously labeled Gogoi a “Pakistani sympathizer,” though no official action has been taken against him so far.
Gogoi has firmly denied all allegations against himself and his wife.
Along with Gogoi, the Congress has named former Union Minister Anand Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, and Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar for the delegations tasked with representing India’s position internationally.
Notably missing from the Congress’s official list was MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading one of the all-party delegations. Tharoor had publicly praised the government’s handling of the India-Pakistan tensions and Operation Sindoor, which reportedly caused friction within Congress ranks.
The delegations overall will be led by senior leaders from various parties, including BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JD(U)’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, DMK’s Kanimozhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde.
This diplomatic outreach comes in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, and Pakistan’s military actions, as New Delhi intensifies efforts to highlight Islamabad’s role in cross-border terrorism. The government hopes these delegations will build global consensus and strengthen India’s position against Pakistan on international platforms.
